“In addition to expanding the Tishrin bridgehead, the YPG/SDF has crossed the Euphrates River some 25 miles north of Tishrin. This was done by ferrying men and equipment across the river and by repairing the damaged bridge at Qarah Qawzaq with a military pontoon bridge […] So much for Erdogan’s red line.”

Kurds and Arabs in Syria

Iraqi Oligarch Fronts Plan for Autonomous Sunni Region

_ Iraqi oligarch, Khamis Khanjar, based in Dubai, wants to “use his multi-million dollar fortune to create an autonomous region for Iraq’s Sunnis.” Seems unlikely this is just the work of just one oligarch. His proposal: ” a federation in which Sunnis, Shi’ites and Kurds could all run their own parts of the country without formally breaking it up. A Sunni federal region would win billions in investments from Gulf Arab states and Turkey, Khanjar and partners in his alliance said.”

Concerns About the Objectivity of MSF/Doctors Without Borders in Syria

_ MSF is a highly regarded NGO but there are problems with their press releases in Syria. A radio interview with Rick Sterling and his open letter to MSF questions their partiality and the accuracy of their reporting. MSF has no staff people in Syria. They are supplying medicines and fuel to clinics. Sterling says there have been a lot of half truths and outright lies. He has received no response from MSF to his letter yet. MSF is only providing relief to the opposition side. A Canadian physician has been working on the ground in Syria on the government side and he has called out the hypocrisy and faulty reporting. The interviewer recalls the propaganda done by MSF in Serbia during the NATO intervention. Sterling also talks about the “White Helmets” which was created by a marketing firm and is a fraudulent outfit.